


feelings in motion

by seashadows



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Crusades Era Joe | Yusuf al-Kaysani & Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Don't copy to another site, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Snark, mentions of canon-typical death and violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seashadows/pseuds/seashadows
Summary: Nicolò looked so smug that Yusuf wouldn’t have been surprised to see him stick his tongue out like a child. “Still,” he said. “If you want water, get it yourself.”“Oh, I see,” said Yusuf. “You want me to push you into the nearest water source and drown you. Very uncomfortable, but maybe that’s your version of a bath.”Yusuf accidentally falls asleep in front of Nicolò, and is pleasantly surprised when he wakes.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 8
Kudos: 184





	feelings in motion

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fill for a Tumblr inbox prompt, "Maybe...you're not as bad as I thought" for Nicky/Joe.
> 
> The title comes from the song "Surprise, Surprise" from the musical A Chorus Line.

Yusuf always made a point of not falling asleep in front of the Frankish bastard if he could help it. He’d learned the hard way that Nicolò was as likely to cut his throat or leave a knife in him as he was to let him sleep. Why he hadn’t given up on this sham of travel companionship a long time ago, he didn’t know.

His best guess was that it had something to do with not unleashing Nicolò on the rest of the civilized world alone. The man was a menace. It was Yusuf’s duty to make sure that nothing bad happened as a result, even if Nicolò was no longer in the business of killing for the sake of a twisted, misguided faith.

Whatever the reason, dark thoughts had filled his head all day, ever since Nicolò blundered his way through a deal at the market in his butchered version of the local dialect and wasted far too much of Yusuf’s money as a result. “Get water,” Yusuf said to him as they entered the shade of an olive grove, his first words to Nicolò since their meager breakfast. “There’s only so much you can do to ruin that, _Frank_.”

As he’d expected, Nicolò glared at him over his shoulder. “I don’t ruin anything,” he said. “They don’t like me.”

“Stop making excuses,” Yusuf told him. God above, he was tired. He didn’t think he’d slept properly in at least two days, maybe more. “If you’d let me try to barter, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“You’re too stupid.”

“Stupid? I was a _merchant!_ I’d still be one if not for you.”

Nicolò looked so smug that Yusuf wouldn’t have been surprised to see him stick his tongue out like a child. “Still,” he said. “If you want water, get it yourself.”

“Oh, I see,” said Yusuf. “You want me to push you into the nearest water source and drown you. Very uncomfortable, but maybe that’s your version of a bath.”

Nicolò said a few angry words in his own language and made a rude gesture at him, but finally stomped off. Yusuf breathed a sigh of relief and took off his pack. It was good to have time to himself. And Nicolò’s reaction was, now that he thought about it, an improvement. At least that ass wasn’t making the sign of the cross at him anymore.

He leaned against the cool bark of an olive tree and slowly slid down it until he was sitting. It would do him good to lean his head back for just a moment, he knew. Nothing more.

When he opened his eyes again, the sun had set. Yusuf scrambled to his feet, reaching for his scimitar, at the sight of Nicolò standing over him. “You wanted to kill me again, is that it?” he asked, and raised his blade. “Your luck is terrible today.”

Instead of going for his sword, Nicolò rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t planning to kill you this minute,” he said. “I set up camp.”

Yusuf felt strangely wrong-footed at that. “You can’t blame me for thinking otherwise,” he said as he let his arm fall to his side. “You impaled me yesterday.”

“That was yesterday.” Nicolò gestured to the neat campsite. “Will you just eat something already? You’ve looked like you’re about to faint from hunger all day.”

“I nearly fainted for lack of sleep,” Yusuf corrected, “because I can’t trust you.”

Nicolò thrust something at his face. Yusuf blinked, then realized it was a full waterskin. “You can trust me enough to drink this.” Irritation was plain on his face. “Water. You were so intent on me getting it, weren’t you? I suppose I had to do it.”

Yusuf narrowed his eyes at him, but took the skin. “At least you can do as you’re told every once in a while,” he said after a few gulps.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

An opportunity presented itself, and Yusuf grabbed it. “It means maybe you’re not as bad as I thought.”

The satisfaction he felt upon seeing Nicolò look flabbergasted in his turn was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I can be found at godihatethisfreakingcat on Tumblr.


End file.
